Courting
by Sirele
Summary: A series of short stories in which Richard attempts to woo Isobel with new things and also his charming personality. Set mid S4-.
1. Chapter 1

Isobel Crawley had planned entire day for reading the latest medical journal that she had been meaning to catch up on. She had given Mrs. Bird and the maid a day off, and the house was even quieter than usual. Which was why when she heard a knock at the door, she was both startled and unaware of who could be calling. She got up and went to the door, opening it to see the smiling face of Dr. Clarkson on her doorstep.

"I do hope I'm not disturbing you." He blurted out.

"You really should get out of the habit of apologizing before even greeting someone" She commented dryly, a small smile creeping across her face.

"My apolog- I mean, Good Morning, Mrs. Crawley."

"Good Morning, Dr. Clarkson." Isobel matched his almost too formal greeting "And to what do I owe the great pleasure of seeing you this afternoon?"

"Well, there's this little shop in Ripon that serves America dishes, and they just stated making this drink called a milkshake. I was simply wondering if-" He paused, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and looking away from her "You would care to go with me to try it. I know it may not be the most exciting thing and American food is not necessarily known for its taste-"

"I would love to go!"

"Well if it wouldn't be too much of an imposition, I was going to go today seeing as it will be my only day off for a while. I should have asked you earlier but whenever I dropped by you were always out or…entertaining"

The pause made her look at him more carefully and she could see so much hurt in his eyes when he said that last word. She knew immediately that it was not the fact that she had visitors; it was _who_ she was visiting with. It was the unspoken question lingering in the air, the enormous elephant in the room which she didn't want to confront.

"I'm so sorry about that, Richard. Will you forgive an old friend for not seeing you?"

The use of his first name brought Richard out his train of somber thoughts of his favorite nurse with any other man but himself.

"You've done nothing wrong, Isobel" He whispered, eyes showing the earnestness of the comment. "But that doesn't really matter, what matters is if you still wish to come or not, even with the short notice."

She knew that she shouldn't. Lord Merton was practically courting her, and had been for almost a month now. And not just that, she knew that the doctor was in love with her. She declined his proposal and she absolutely could not lead him on. But she shook her head yes, and with a beaming smile, got her overcoat and followed him to his car.

The ride over to Ripon was filled with small talk and a bit of banter related to her newest political stand. If there was one thing that Isobel knew, it was that she and Richard were very good at being friends. That was one of the reasons she had stopped his proposal, because she could not see how they could be anything but.

They almost passed by the store, it was such a tiny one that the two buildings beside it nearly swallowed it whole. American cuisine was not a favorite in Yorkshire; however, the few who did must have supplied a big enough clientele to support the small shop.

"This is quite…charming"

"Don't lie, Mrs. Crawley, it doesn't suit you."

Although the comment was a bit forward, she couldn't help but be flattered by his high opinion of her.

"So what is this milkshake that we are supposed to be getting?"

"You'll see!"

Richard led her to a table and pulled out her chair for her. He went up and stood in line, and Isobel couldn't help but realize the similarities between this and the day at the fair. She felt so terribly after that day, especially after realizing that although his proposal was less than romantic, he really did sincerely have feelings for her. Her thoughts wandered and she began thinking about what would have happened if she had said yes to the proposal. The engagement would have ended, she thought as she sat there, after Matthew, because if she had just been marrying him for companionship, which would have been the reason if she said yes, she would never be able to find in Richard the love that she needed. But seeing him look at her today made her question even that.

She was brought out of her ruminations by a soft thud of a glass on the table. He was back with the drinks and she looked at them in awe. There, in a frosted glass, was a chocolate mixture that looked almost like ice cream topped with whipped cream and a cherry

"What is in it?"

"It's milk, ice cream, and, I believe some sort of chocolate syrup. It's an odd mixture, but I've heard good things about them."

She dared a sip and was instantly pleased.

"This is delicious!"

"Yes, I quite agree, though completely unhealthy."

She chuckled, that was quite like the doctor, always thinking of health.

He cleared his throat, and there was an awkward pause. The similarities between this conversation and the one at the fair were uncanny, and she could tell that he could see this too as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I hear it used to be made with whiskey."

"Oh dear, I don't believe that Lady Grantham would not approve of me caterwauling with you drinking things made of whiskey."

"It is a good thing that it isn't then."

The conversation turned to their earlier discussion in the car, but Isobel noticed something different about the way that her friend was speaking. He would take every opportunity to shower her with compliments or tease her, it was quite unlike him, and she was beginning to think that perhaps his drink may have something other than milk and cream in it when he suddenly reached across the table for her hand.

"Isobel, your friendship means the world to me" He said, hesitantly patting her hand with his.

She was just about to respond with a kind remark before he began again

"I know this may be silly but when I come by and you're with _him _or I see you walk with him, I just can't help feeling this horrid sense of despair. I'm not asking you to stop seeing him, I couldn't. But I had to say that for the record"

"Dr. Clarkson, really, I-"

"Please don't be formal with me. Not after what I'm trying to... I've realized that there can only have two outcomes. Either I can convince you that I am worthy enough of your love, or you can convince me that we are better off friends. But heavens, Isobel, you can't expect me to…to give up without trying. I'm a rational man, and I know that to get a proper result there should be many tests, not just one…hasty judgment call"

"Good gracious, you're just as bad as Mary's men." Isobel laughed, trying to play down the intensity of the moment.

"Well, then so, be it, but I love you Isobel Crawley, and I am not going to let you be whisked away by some other man without at least showing you.." He stared at her. "And what do you have to lose?"

"I'd like to go home now"

Richard didn't even protest as he led her back to the car.

The ride home was a silent one, and even as she got out he didn't make a sound. He had crossed a line, and there was no way he was going to ever get back to the other side.

But instead of walking to her home, Isobel turned on her heels, and instead of closing his car door, she leaned over the seat a bit.

"Good luck." She chirped, and as she turned away, she could feel him staring at her in shock.

And here she had wondered how Mary was willing to let two men court her.


	2. Chapter 2

The hospital was buzzing with activity, and Isobel realized that she had made a good choice in offering an extra pair of hands to make rounds today. Although it was tiring work, she relished the joy it gave her. In the first months after Matthew's death, she couldn't imagine ever being happy again. But here she was, almost a year later, smiling and talking with patients like she had before the accident. It was refreshing, in a way.

She looked up from the clipboard she was filling out and noticed a certain doctor staring at her openly. He very unsubtly had been making a point to be near her at all times, and if he couldn't, he would gaze across the room like a lost puppy. As she looked back to her clipboard, she gave him credit for at least being attentive, although not very tactful.

The second half of the day went even faster than the first. It seemed as if every child had in Downton had broken something. Most of the afternoon was a blur, except for light squeeze of her arm that he supplied as they passed to opposite ends of the room.

She wasn't surprised when at the end of the day he popped his head out of his door and called her over to his office.

"You know if you aren't careful, Dr. Clarkson, we'll be the talk of the younger nurses before too long."

"Actually, Mrs. Crawley, I have something completely different to talk to you about."

Interested, Isobel sat down in front of his desk.

"It seems that a chap in Canada has just discovered a way to produce insulin, and deliver it to those with deficiencies."

"That's wonderful!" Isobel exclaimed happily. They had dealt with very few cases of Diabetes mellitus, but the ones they had had made it quite an interesting talking point for them.

"Though of course we may not have the ability to implement such a medicine, but I thought I should tell you, since it has been something we had discussed."

"Well thank you for that, and keep me updated when you hear more."

"Actually, I have lot of the research with me, if you would like to discuss it over tea, perhaps?"

"Is that your idea of courting then? Studying medical journals over tea?" Isobel dared to tease.

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind." He muttered.

"And now you are quoting Shakespeare." She sighed, though sincerely delighted by the comment "All right then, get your things together and we can peruse this research in my sitting room."

There was no way that he could have hid the enormous smile that crept across his face.

And by the end of the night, although he hadn't come any closer to her than necessary and had politely tipped his hat to her when he left, she felt a strange sensation that Dr. Richard Clarkson was up to something.


	3. Chapter 3

She wasn't really sure why she had agreed to come to London on yet another outing. Two men courting her was almost too much for Isobel, and, if not too much, certainly tiring. If she wasn't going out on leisurely strolls with Lord Merton, she was being taken around all over by Dr. Clarkson. In a way, it was invigorating. Out of the two of them, he was the one she had more fun with. _But, that is because we are friends, and I do not have to worry about trying to impress him_, Isobel thought to herself as the car came to a lurching halt in front of a very large building.

"Well, are you going to tell me where we are?"

"You'll see soon enough." Richard smiled, the mischievous gleam in his eyes that she had grown very used to over the past month.

Isobel wasn't sure what had come over her doctor. Or, for that matter what had come over her, because she had taken to referring to him as hers. It wasn't as if anything had changed, they were still friends. But there was something different, and she couldn't quite place what exactly that was.

When they stepped into the building, Isobel was completely taken aback. Dr. Clarkson had taken her to many places she had never been, but they were always in the realm of something so typically him, safe and never too out of the box. He had taken her to a museum, and a castle, but none of those compared to what she saw before her. They were in a club, the kind of environment that Rose would strive in. There were people were dancing, and not only that, it was the sort of dancing that would most likely cause Violet to suffer a fatal heart attack. But the dancing wasn't what shocked her the most, but that Richard had brought her there.

"I-I-don-"

"Didn't think I would take you somewhere so risqué, did you?" Richard said, chuckling at her reaction.

She nearly turned around and walked out the door before her caught her arm.

"Now, if you really don't want to be here, we can leave, but, and I may be crossing a line here, but if you just want to leave so people won't think badly of you, well, I don't know what you've done with the woman I love"

"You're right, you did cross a line." She said, putting her nose in the air in protest, "Find us a table." She added with a heavy sigh.

He was beaming ear to ear as he found gently pulled her along beside him to a free table in the corner of the room.

"I can't believe you brought me here. It isn't very like you." Isobel noted, she had decided that if anything, she should at least be honest with the man.

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think." He said with a wink.

"But even if I don't…this is not the sort of thing a gentleman like you would do."

"You mean a gentleman like Lord Merton?" Richard asked, his tone accusing and bitter.

"I very well meant you, and you know it." She said, all semblance of propriety disappearing.

He shrugged and it infuriated her.

"I understand, you brought me here to prove that you're the one to make my life exciting , but honestly if you love someone they don't necessarily need to be exciting-"

"Actually, I brought you here to dance." He stopped her.

"You what?" She asked, confused by the sudden interruption in her lecture.

"I brought you here to dance." He said again, getting up and reaching his hand out to her.

"But I don't know how to do this sort of-"

"Don't worry, you'll learn easily enough"

He stood there, unwavering.

She sat there, considering her options. She could go with him and make a complete idiot of herself, or she could sit here with him, and probably end up arguing.

She took his hand.

"Alright then, what is the dance and what are the steps?"She asked as they moved towards the dance floor where couples already were.

"It's called the Charleston, and I'll show you."

"How do you know it?"

"I've done some reading." He said as he pulled her to him and put his right hand on her back and took her left hand in his right.

"Now what?" Isobel questioned as she put her left hand on his shoulder without even thinking.

"All you need to do is move your right foot in front of you, when I move my left back, then after a beat, go back to where you were, and then move your left foot behind you when I move my right up. And then…"

"We go back to normal"

"Exactly"

He led her in the steps very slowly at first, until she got the hang of it. But after a song, she got the hang of it. As the song progressed, he pulled her nearer and nearer to him, so that even if she wanted to, she couldn't look down to make sure she was doing the dance right. Instead, she was looking right at him.

"I do have to tell you something, Mrs. Crawley."

"And what is that, Dr. Clarkson?"

"I didn't bring you here to show you that I am more fun, I brought you here to show you that I am the only one to push you to do things that you will find fun."

"And what, may I ask, is the difference?" She asked, quite amused by his statement.

He stopped dancing and lowered his face inches from hers.

"Oh I think you know, m'dear Isobel" He said, his brogue more noticeable than usual. Isobel could feel her face getting hot when he lifted her left hand and gave her a twirl.

And although she would blame it on the dancing, her face was still red for a good potion of their ride back to Downton.


	4. Chapter 4

Isobel had been beginning to worry about Dr. Clarkson. He hadn't come to call on her once since they went dancing nearly two weeks ago. It was so unlike him, as he usually dropped by whenever Lord Merton was not there. Whenever she attempted to catch a word with him at the hospital, he was always so engrossed in his work, and she was beginning to miss the glances and light touches on her shoulder. What made it worse was that no matter what, she couldn't quite get the feeling of his face so close to hers out of her head. Lord Merton had even chanced a chaste goodnight kiss the other night, and all she could think of is what if it had been _him_ instead. It was completely ridiculous, infuriating even.

"I'm acting like some love sick school girl." She said aloud looking out her window. She told herself that she was only looking at the fall colors outside, but really she was waiting. It was silly, really, but she couldn't understand why he had suddenly lost interest.

She got her jacket and wandered out to the street. She would go to the hospital and talk to him. She needed to know if he had given up on her, then she could at least stop the nonsensical little butterflies in her stomach every time she thought of him.

When she reached the hospital, she found his office door open and he sat, his brow furrowed over something he was reading. She took one step and his head immediately shot up from what he had been reading, making her believe that he hadn't been concentrating that much at all.

"I was wondering when you would show up." He grinned.

"What do you mean, waiting for me to show up?" Isobel asked, trying to keep her tone even.

"Well, my dear, it's not very nice to pursue those who don't want to be, now is it?"

"Why yes-but-"

"I quite understand, and while you are here, I should tell you to get yourself ready for tonight. We're going to the cinema." He said, his matter-of-faculty tone not surprising her one bit.

"How do you know that I want to go?"

He rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"I'm coming by around four. If you aren't ready by then, I will go myself."

She was sitting in a dark theater with Dr. Clarkson and her mind couldn't help but wander. He had just gone and gotten them some popped corn with toffee and was now sitting as respectable distance away from her that he could manage.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She asked, voice louder than it needed to be.

"Hush now, it's starting!" He whispered, giving her shoulder a very light swat and then turning his attention to the screen.

It was called _Paddy, the Next Best Thing_, and it was one of those romantic movies, one that she would never get caught dead watching. And yet, there she was, enjoying it. Though the only reason was that halfway through, Richard moved his hand to cover hers on the arm rest between them.

She completely ate the love story up, and she wanted to throw herself off a bridge for it. The main character just seemed so much like her and the story a bit like the situation she was in now. She could hardly help but smile and cry with Paddy.

She hadn't even realized she had been crying until Richard handed her his handkerchief. She silently nodded a thank you, too emotionally attached to even be embarrassed by the whole situation.

"You know, I'm not avoiding you, I only want to make you realize that you miss me." Richard whispered into her ear during the best part of the film.

"I don't miss you ruining a good movie." She quipped quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

He chuckled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

It was then that Isobel realized that she and Richard could never go back to the way they were before, and, that she didn't want them to.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to apologize in advance for the shortness and horibbleness of this chapter, and how long it took to post. I just got back to college so I've had not much time to write. Tonight was my one time til Thursday to try to get this chapter done so please accept my humblest apologies. I promise the next chapter (probably on thursday, friday, or saturday)will be much better!**

"Mrs. Crawley, are you alright? Isobel?"

Isobel was brought back to reality by hearing her name. She was on the couch in her sitting room, teacup in her hand. Lord Merton was sitting across from her, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm so sorry! I am a little distracted today." She admitted, feeling terribly.

"It is no problem at all, really." Lord Merton said, and she could tell that he meant it so sincerely. It bothered her in a way, because he was such a gentlemen that he wouldn't dare tell her if something was bothering him. She wished he would, but, of course, that would make what she was about to tell him a lot harder.

"It's lovely weather out isn't it?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, I do so love autumn."

He left it at that. He didn't ask her if she would like to go out to her yard and toss leaves around like she did when she was young. He didn't offer to go and grab some cider, which although it would be improper, it would be a delectable treat. These are all things, she realized, she could never do around him. And, although she was supposed to be prim and proper, she didn't have to be, or at least, that was how Richard made her feel.

"I've been going…well, courting with another gentleman." Isobel didn't know why she blurted it out, but her confession hung in the air.

"What exactly do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, there's a man, who has been taking me out, and at first I only saw it as friends going on outings together but…"

"I see…"

"I understand if you're angry. You should hate me."

"Do you love him?" His eyes were getting soft, and she felt so sorry that she had caused this.

"Ye- No- I don't really know. I think I might. It's been a long time since I've felt…" She started and then she saw him almost flinch at what she had said "I didn't mean-"

"No, I understand completely." Lord Merton said, standing up. "But you do have something wrong. I don't hate you. I am a little disappointed, but Isobel no one in their right mind could hate you. Not even the Dowager Countess herself."

They stood there in silence for minutes, each one trying to figure out the proper words to say.

"I understand if you never want to see me again…"

"No, Isobel, let's part as friends."

He held out his hand to shake hers.

And as he turned to go to the door, Isobel found herself saying something oddly familiar.

"You're a better man than I, Gunga Din."


	6. Chapter 6

It became much easier for Isobel to wander around with Richard when she had finally resigned herself to the fact that she was in love with him. It was almost funny how almost instantaneously after she had realized it he began always calling her Isobel. She had never noticed how he said her name with such softness before.

They were sitting on a blanket in a leaf covered meadow just outside of town. It was not the sort of picnic that the Grantham's were used to, but it suited her just fine. The air was a little crisp, but nothing that she couldn't handle with a good coat.

"You know, for a doctor, you are surprisingly unconcerned about your own health."

"I don't worry about a little chill now and then, it's refreshing!" He grinned, taking a bite of one of the finger sandwiches that they had prepared together.

She raised her eyebrows and took a bite of an apple.

"How is your Lord Merton, then?" He asked, never afraid to get to the point. She hadn't had the chance to tell him about what had happened the other day. She had considered waiting and trying to use the opportunity to gain a bit of an upper hand, but now that he had asked, she couldn't quite work up the nerve to lie to him.

"Well, Lord Merton was doing fine when I saw him the other day." Isobel answered simply.

"Did you have a good time…drinking tea."

"Richard, don't be pretentious." She warned lightly.

"I'm not I was simply asking!"

"I don't believe you. But if you must know, tea was eventful."

"That's not exactly the word I expected."

"Do you always have to be so critical?" She asked. She wanted to kill him. Or kiss him. Really, either was an option at that moment, and so, without thinking she said it "I told him about you and he very cordially said that he and I could remain friends. Are you happy?"

"Yes. Very." Richard smiled, leaning closer to her "But why did you tell him?"

"You know perfectly-"

"I know, but I want to hear you say it."

Isobel sighed.

"I told him because I finally realized there was no sense in letting him court me when the only person I could see a future with is a man that completely infuriates me and has crossed more lines than I care to count."

"Isobel?"

"Yes, Richard?"

"Do you mind if I cross another line?" He tilted his head to the side and moved his hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

Isobel nodded slightly as she leaned into him.

And when she felt his lips against hers she realized that kissing him was a much better option than killing him.


End file.
